Railway-car pipe-coupling mechanism.



W. A. PETERSEN.

RAILWAY CAR PIPE COUPLING MECHANISM.

APPLICATION FILED mic. is. 1915.

L19U,50. Patented July 11, 1916.

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W. A. PETERSEN. RAILWAY CAR PIPE COUPLING MECHANISM.

APPLICATION FILED DEC- I5. 1915.

Patented July 11, 1916.

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WILLIAM ALBERT PETERSEN, OF EXCELSIOR SPRINGS, MISSOURI, ASSIGNDR OF ONE- HALF TO JESSE WILLIAMS, OF EXGELSIOR SPRINGS, MISSOURI.

RAILWAY-CAR PIPE-COUPLING MECHANISM.

To all whom it may concern:

Be it known that I, WILLIAM ALBERT PETERSEN, a citizen of the United States, residing at Excelsior Springs, in the county of Clay and State of Missouri, have invented certain new and useful Improvements in Railway-Car Pipe-Coupling Mechanism, of which the following is a specification.

My invention relates to improvements in apparatus for automatically coupling or connecting the pipes of railway cars, upon the locking action of the couplers thereof.

An important object of the inventionis to provide means of the above mentioned character, which will connect the pipes of railway cars in an expeditious and automatic manner so that they will not leak.

A further object of the invention is to provide means of the above mentioned character, which are simple in construction, inexpensive to manufacture, strong, durable, besides dispensing with the necessity of a man going between the ends of two railway cars, for connecting the pipes.

Other objects and advantages of the invention will be apparent during the course of the following description.

In the accompanying drawings forming a part of this specification and in which like numerals are employed to designate like parts throughout the same, Figure 1 is a bottom plan view of apparatus embodying my invention, parts being shown in section, with the couplers connected, Fig. 2 is a side elevation of the same, parts in section, Fig. 3 is an enlarged fragmentary bottom plan view of the apparatus, and, Fig. a is a trans verse sectional view taken on line 4 -4 of Fig. 2.

In the drawings, wherein for the purpose of illustration is shown a preferred embodiment of my invention, the numeral 5 designates coupler-heads, connected with drawbars 6, attached to railway cars, in the usual manner.

As more clearly shown in Figs. 2 and 4, the numeral 7 designates a substantially U- shaped bracket, rigidly connected with the draw-bar 6 by any suitable means and the numeral 9 designates diagonal braces secured to the lower end of the bracket 7, and connected with the draw-bar 6, by any suitable means, as shown. Mounted to move vertically within each bracket or guide 7 is a carriage 10 provided at its ends With Specification of Letters Patent.

Patented July 11, 191 8.

Application filed December 15, 1915. Serial No. 67,022.

grooved or channeled heads 11, slidably receiving the vertical sides 12 of the guides or brackets 7, as shown. The carriage 10 embodies a vertical preferably cylindrical portion 13, having flanged ends 1%, provided with upstanding and depending pins 15. These pins are inserted within the inner ends of compression coil springs 16, the outer ends of which receive pins or trunnions 17, serving to hold them in place. It isthus apparent that the carriage 10 is adapted to partake of slight vertical movements which are opposed by the action of the springs 16.

The carriage 10 is provided with horizontal openings 18 which are preferably horizontally elongated or elliptical, adapted to receive short pipes 19, 20, and 21, which may be termed air, steam and signal. Particular attention is called to the fact that the openings 18 are shaped to allow lateral movements of these pipes. The pipes are adapted to move laterally with the drawbar, as the bracket 7 is carried thereby. The pipes have their inner ends attached to the usual train pipes or flexible hose, as shown at 22. These pipes also project outwardly beyond the carriage 10 and are connected with valve structures 22, preferably formed in a single casting. These valve structures embody valve stems 28, for opening and closing them, and these valve stems are turned by cranks 2 1, having pivotal connection with a rod 25, extending to the side of the car, whereby the valve structures may be opened and closed when desired. Any other suitable means may be employed to operate these valve structures. The casting embodying the valve structures 22 is preferably provided with a flange 26, bolted or otherwise rigidly connected with aflange 27, formed upon a casting 27 comprising tubular coupling-heads 28. Each of these tubular coupling-heads has one side 29 flat and is provided in this flat side with an opening 30, surrounded by a compressible washer or ring 31, formed of leather, rubber or the like. The outer end of each coupling-head is preferably inclined outwardly, as shown at 32. Certain of the coupling-heads 28 are provided adjacent their bases with webs 38, as shown.

Rigidly connected with the casting 27 and preferably formed integral therewith is a guide casing or element 34, which is preferably of half-cone shape, embodying an inment is arranged .39, as shown at 40. The

lever-is pivotally connected, as shown at 4A,

withthe stationary jaw 15 of the couplerhead, and the other end of the lever has pivotal connection, as shown at 46, with the pivoted knuckle 47 of the coupler. This knuekleroperates in the usual manner. It is thus apparent that When the knuckle 47 is swung inwardly, during the locking of the couplers, the lever 43 is swung upon its pivot and therod 39 shifted in one direction. This movement'of the rod 39 swings the earns 37 to the active position, for a purpose to be described. The pipe coupling units carried by corresponding ends of the cars are identical, and the pipe coupling units carried by the adjacent ends of the cars, being connected havetheir parts reversed, as shown in F ig; 1, as is the ease with the couplers, so that they may interfit.

In operation, when the pipe coupling units are brought together, the end coupling-head 28 of one unit moves withinthe guide casing or element 34 of the other unit, whereby the two coupling units are automatically shifted laterally toward each other, bringing the openings 30 in registration and the washers or rings in contact With each other. By the time these units have proper interfitting engagement, the knuckles 47 of the couplers move inwardly into locked engagement, and the levers 43 are swung upon their pivots. This movement of the levers eflects the longitudinal movements of the rods 39 cams 37 are turned upon their pivots. These cams slidably contact with vthe ends 32 of the coupling-heads 28, and move the coupling-heads in each co-acting pair toward each other, thus effecting a firm engagement between the washers or rings 31, for forming an air tight union. It is obvious that the shocks caused by the engagement of the coupling-heads 28' when they are brought together are takenup by the spring 48, the pipes being capable of having perceptible longitudinal movement. The springs 16 and associated elements permit ofslight verin opposite directions, whereby the,

tical movement of the carriage 10 and their pipes, whereby these pipes can adjust themselves to the irregularities in the road bed. The pipes are capable of partaking of perceptible lateral movement with relation to the coupling-heads 5, by virtue of the size of the openings 18.

It is to be understood that the form of my invention herewith shown and described is to be taken as a preferred example of the same, and that various changes in the shape, size, and arrangements of parts may be resorted to without departing from the spirit of the invention or the scope of the subjoined claims.

Having thus described the invention, I claim:

1. In apparatus of the character de scribed, the combination with co-acting units, each unit comprising a plurality of coupling-heads provided upon corresponding sides with openings, cams arranged near and connected with the coupling-heads, means to move the cams, and a guide ele ment connected with one end of the coupling-head and embodying an inclined face.

2. In apparatus of the character described, the combination with a coupler embodying a pivoted knuckle, of a pipe arranged near the coupler and having a coupling head, a cam pivotally connected with the coupling head to engage a co-acting coupling head to move it toward the first named coupling head, a lever pivotally mounted upon the coupler and having one end pivotally connected with the knuckle to be moved thereby, and means to connect the lever and cam. y 3: The combination with a coupler embodying a knuckle having pivotal connection therewith, of a bell crank lever pivoted upon the pivot member of the knuckle and having one arm thereof pivoted. to the outer portion of the knuckle, a plurality of pipes arranged near the coupler and having coupling heads, a corresponding number of cams pivoted upon the coupling heads and having cranks, and a link pivotally connected with the cranks and having connection with the other arm of the bell crank lever.

In testimony whereof I aiiix my signature in presence of two witnesses.

WILLIAM ALBERT PETERSEN.

Witnesses:

F. M. KERN, Jnssn WILLIAMS.

Copies of this patent may be obtained. for five cents each, by addressing the Commissioner of Patents, Washington, D. C. 

